Snow removal apparatus



Aug. 194-7. R. ,1. INKSETVTER 2,426,507

SNOW REMOVAL APPARATUS Filed March 23, 1945 /a 9 v lnuantu1:

Hubert .llnns EttEI" MM/ /g Patented Aug. 26, 1947 SNOW REMOVAL APPARATUS Robert James Inksetter, Copetown, Ontario,

Canad Application March 23, 1945, Serial No. 584,380

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to improvements in snow removal apparatus of the type wherein snow is dug by means of a rotatable digger member and ejected from the apparatusthrough a chute, and the object of my invention is to provide a rotatable digging member having its axis of rotation disposed substantially transversely of the direction of movement of the apparatus and provided with a plurality of peripheral digging teeth which bite into the snow and carry it around to a point where it is centrifugally ejected through the chute.

A further and particular object of my invention is to spray or otherwise deposit oil on the digging member to prevent snow from freezing or adhering to the member, and another object is to construct a very simple and effective apparatus wherein there is only a single main moving element for biting into the snow and carrying it to the ejection chute.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which shall hereinafter appear, my invention consists of an apparatus constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a front View, slightly reduced in size, and

Figure 4 is a reduced schematic side elevational view of a truck, showing my apparatus mounted thereon.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views in the drawing.

The digging member of the apparatus consists of a substantially drum-shaped rotor 2 formed with a plurality of grooves 3 in its periphery wherein the faces 4 of the grooves constitute the digging teeth. Upon reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that each portion 5 of the face of the drum extending counterclockwise from a digging face 4 to the next groove is off centre to the axis of the drum and has a smaller radius than the radius of the drum, so that the outer edges 6 of the digging faces are in the form of projections.

It will also be seen upon reference to Figure 2 of the drawing that each digging face 4 is inclined in relation to the radius line A extending from the axis of the member 2 to the outer edge 6 of the face so that the teeth are formed to dig 2 into the snow. Each face 4 is preferably fitted with a hard steel tooth plate I.

The drum 2 is carried upon a transverse shaft 8 supported within an open front housing 9, the bottom rear face it of which is curved to be close to and conform with the rotative path of the edges 6 of the teeth. A chute ll extends upwardly from the housing 9 and is so positioned that the snow lodging in the grooves 3 is centrifugally projected into the tangential chute. As will be seen upon reference to Figure 3, the chute is preferably inclined to one side, so as not to interfere with the field of Vision of the driver operating the truck or tractor upon which my apparatus may be mounted.

Where there is a possibility of deep snow being encountered, an upwardly swingable horizontal plate l2 may be pivotally mounted upon the upper front edge of the housing 9. The plate carries a number of downwardly projecting snow-engaging prongs !3 which are mounted rearwardly of an upwardly curved lip l4 formed on the front edge of the plate l2. The prongs are designed to break into deep snow and smash the snows crust as the apparatus moves forwardly. In encountering very deep snow, the plate [2 can swing upwardly. A forwardly projecting groundengaging shoe I5 is supported upon the lower forward edge of the housing 9.

My apparatus can be mounted upon anysuitable type of vehicle and driven in any suitable manner. For example, in Figure 4, I show the apparatus mounted upon a truck Hi. The truck is shown carrying a suitable apparatus supporting frame which incorporates two pairs of channel members I! and ill to which the apparatus is attached in front of the truck.

To rotate the rotor 2, the ends of the shaft 8 project through bearings carried upon the sides of the housing 9 and carry worm gears l9 which mesh with worms 2!] carried upon the forward ends of a pair of horizontal drive hafts 2!. The gears are contained within housings 22.

The drive shafts 2! are connected to a motor 23 mounted upon the truck It, and any suitable type of driving connection can be used, such as a pair of horizontal shafts 24 extending along the base of the frame from the apparatus to the motor, the shafts 2 1 being connected to the shafts 2| and to the motor by driving chains and sprockets 25 and 26. In order to prevent snow from freezing or otherwise adhering to the grooves 3 of the rotor, I spray oil on to the rotor and into the grooves 3 as the rotor rotates. This is accomplished by carrying an oil containing tank 21 on the truck, from which oil is pumped through a pump 28 and piping 29 to a. plurality of nozzles 30in the housing 9, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Any low temperature free flowing type of oil can be used, for example, used oil taken from automobile crank cases, which is generally quite dilute and can be obtained at little or no cost. The use of oil to automatically coat the snow digging surfaces of the apparatus is a very important feature in that it will overcome the snow clogging difiiculties that are encountered in all types of power driven snow digging appliances. The speed of my rotor 2 will depend upon the particular snow conditions, but should preferably be maintained at sufficient velocity to centrifugally eject the snow from the grooves 3 through the tangentially positioned chute II.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have devised a particularly simple and efficient snow removal apparatus, and, while I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I can make such changes and alterations as I may from time to time deem necessary, without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A snow removal apparatus of the character described comprising a rotatable digging mem ber having its axis of rotation disposed substantially transversely of the direction of movement of the apparatus and formed with a plurality of grooves in its periphery which extend substantially parallel to the aXis of the member,

one face of each groove forming a digging tooth, the outer edges of the digging tooth faces of the grooves being of greater distance from the centre of rotation of the rotatable digging member than the outer edges of the non-digging faces of the grooves, a snow ejection chute extending upwardly from the rear portion of the rotatable digging member in a substantially tangential direction in relation to the rotative path of the digging member, the digging member being positioned underneath the chute, and an oil ejection nozzle positioned forwardly of the chute and so directed that oil ejected from the nozzle strikes the snow engaging faces of the rotating digging member after such faces pass from underneath the chute, and means for ejecting oil through the nozzle under pressure.

ROBERT JAMES INKSE'ITER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 839,179 McCoy Dec. 25, 1906 1,482,904 Moore et a1. Feb. 5, 1924 1,521,172 Buttweiler Feb. 30, 1924 1,716,390 Swanson June 11, 1929 1,724,692 Bassler Aug. 13, 1929 1,749,810 Grifiin et al Mar. 11, 1930 2,023,608 Nebel Dec. 10, 1935 2,124,927 Peter July 26, 1938 2,132,790 Jeswine Oct. 11, 1938 2,337,108 Jensen Dec. 21, 1943 

